Healing Her Scars
by RGAP-48
Summary: CHAPTER 3 FINALLY UP After finding out his mother set Sami up, Lucas is overwhelmed by guilt. Even though Sami forgives him, Lucas knows it will be a while before he can truly forgive himself for doubting her. Lumi.
1. Chapter One

**Healing Her Scars**

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Author's Note: I realize I haven't written anything for a long time, but I hope I can get back into the habit of writing on a regular basis because I've missed it. I'mvery out of practice, so be as hard on the story as you want. I could use some constructive critism. All feedback is welcome as always.

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Chapter One

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Sami had waited long enough.

Not a very patient person to begin with, Sami didn't want Lucas to believe his mother's lies for another minute. Lucas' lack of faith in her and his unfairly distributed bitterness towards her had become too hard to deal with. Listening to the lies rolling off Kate's tongue so smoothly had fuelled Sami's determination as well. Sami was going to make Lucas see that Kate had been the one to betray him, not her.

Sami knew what Kate was capable of. She knew Kate must have done a thorough job cleaning up after herself once her scheme had been carried out. Sami wasn't even going to attempt to find evidence through Kate directly. She was going to target Kate's comparably weaker partner in crime: Eugenia Willins.

Eugenia was not the world's most intelligent woman. Sami knew she had Eugenia beat in the brains department, along with every other department she could think of. Eugenia could be cunning at times, but she lived a sad life. She was desperate to grasp at anything she could to improve her pathetic living standards. This made her easy to manipulate. Kate had probably sought out Eugenia because of her malleable personality. Eugenia's malleable personality may have made her a helpful, willing accomplice for Kate, but it was also going to help Sami show Lucas the truth.

Impatience had led her to Eugenia's door that day. She knocked once and heard the sound of running footsteps from inside the apartment almost immediately. Eugenia flung the door open within seconds. Obviously Eugenia didn't get many visitors. When Eugenia saw Sami at the door her face contorted into a confused frown.

"Oh my God. What the hell do you think you're doing coming around my place, Sami?" Eugenia asked haughtily, though confusion and worry remained the dominating emotions in her expression and voice.

"Shut up, Eugenia," Sami responded, breezing through the door as if she owned the apartment. She didn't miss the look of outrage on Eugenia's face as the woman followed behind her. "You should be happy I'm here. There's going to be some unpleasant surprises in store for you if we don't have a little chat."

"That's crazy. What are you babbling about?" Eugenia demanded.

Sami dropped onto the couch. "Let me start off by saying that I know what an incredibly big bitch you are. I've been spending a lot of time spying on Kate lately. I've done enough eavesdropping to know that you were the one who helped her set me up to be in bed with Brandon."

"I did nothing of the sort! Stop making up stories." For a moment, Eugenia's eyes flickered with fear, but she quickly hid the fear behind a mask of indignance and phony innocence.

"I bet you're going to wish it was a made up story by the time I finish," Sami said, pleased with herself. She had Eugenia's attention. She would start with the truth regarding the situation and go from there, twisting the truth until she had pitted Eugenia against Kate. It wouldn't be too hard; Eugenia was playing right into her hands. "I also know that you're trying to get financial help from Kate."

"You- you-" Eugenia sputtered angrily, giving up the pretense of ignorance. That didn't take long, Sami thought to herself. "You shouldn't spy on people," Eugenia said.

"And you shouldn't drug people and try to ruin their lives," Sami shot back, making Eugenia flush with anger.

"You had it coming, Sami! Can you blame me and Kate for wanting to take you down?" Eugenia smacked her forehead. "Oh, no. How could I have been so stupid? You're getting this on tape, aren't you? Where's the tape recorder, bitch?" Eugenia lunged at Sami.

"There's no tape recorder, Eugenia! That's not why I'm here. I won't need to go after you myself now that Kate's doing it for me." Sami plastered the most triumphant, knowing smile imaginable onto her face. Eugenia lifted her head curiously.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Sami let out a sigh of contentment before elaborating. "Kate doesn't appreciate all your demands and threats. I've heard her on the phone with someone recently– I don't know who– talking about how she's going to get you off her back."

"That's impossible." Eugenia shook her head. "Kate wouldn't turn on me. We were partners. She's going to help me out."

"Kate doesn't even like you. She thinks you're annoying," Sami said, regarding Eugenia with fake pity. "She used you because she couldn't carry out her scheme alone. You're no longer useful to her, so she's going to eliminate you. At least that's what she said to the person she was talking to on the phone. That person could have been anyone. It was probably a hit man or something."

Eugenia paled. "Hit man?" she repeated shrilly. "No way."

"It makes perfect sense. She wants to keep what she did a secret, but you're a wild card and a threat now that you're making all these demands. She's capable of murder. She framed me for a murder she may have committed herself. I almost died because of her. I wonder how much time you have left before she has you killed."

"But I don't want to die." Eugenia's lower lip trembled and tears began to well up in her eyes. She is such a baby, Sami thought with disgust.

"You don't have to if you handle this situation appropriately," Sami told her. "I know how you can make sure Kate won't mess with you."

"Why are you helping me?" Eugenia was sniffling and wiping at her eyes now. "We don't like each other. You have to be doing this for yourself."

"Well, as much as I think you're a pathetic wench with no life, I hate Kate more than I could ever hate you. Me losing Lucas and Will was mostly Kate's fault. You would have been nothing without Kate. Kate planned everything. You were just her brainless little minion." Eugenia opened her mouth to protest, but Sami continued. "I don't want to see you fall if it means that she gets away with everything she's done."

"I am not a brainless minion," Eugenia snapped.

"Right," Sami scoffed before continuing, "As of right now, only I know of your connection to Kate. Lucas knows about the phone calls, but he doesn't believe you and Kate set me up. Not yet, anyways. If Kate gets you killed, no one will believe me when I tell them she's responsible, right?"

"I don't want to talk about me dying." Eugenia whined.

Sami rolled her eyes. "Whatever. The point is, if you want Kate to think twice about killing you, you have to bring everything into the open. Tell everyone the truth. You have to make sure most of Salem knows what she's done and why she would want you dead. Then she wouldn't risk trying to have you killed because if you did die, everyone would look to her first."

"I don't want to get killed," Eugenia sobbed, rocking back and forth on her bed.

"Stop that! Just listen to me!" Sami was running out of patience again. "Do you have any evidence of what Kate did to me that you can show people?" Sami already knew the evidence in question existed. She just hoped Eugenia was scared enough to divulge its existence.

Eugenia was silent for a moment, then confessed, "I taped phone conversations I had with Kate where we were discussing the plan."

Sami beamed at Eugenia. "That's perfect. You should play the tapes when a bunch of people are around to hear them." Sami snapped her fingers. "I know! You can play them for everyone at the opening night of Maggie's new restaurant tonight!"

"Wait a minute," Eugenia said, holding up her hand. "You just want me to rat on Kate so you'll get Lucas and your son back. Why would I want to help you?"

"I helped you by letting you know what Kate was up to, didn't I?" Sami shrugged. "I would just rather see Kate pay for what she's done than see you die. Now that you know what Kate's plans for you are, if you don't do anything it will be your own fault when some guy sneaks into your apartment and shoots you in your sleep."

Eugenia gasped. "I'm not going to let that happen. I will not let Kate kill me! But if I tell everyone what Kate did, then everyone's going to know that I helped her. Everyone will hate me."

"Please, Eugenia," Sami said scornfully, "You were just the follower. Kate was the leader. Everyone is going to know that you wouldn't have done anything if Kate hadn't recruited you to help her."

"I guess you're right..." Eugenia didn't appear to be very convinced.

"Does this mean you'll do it?" Sami leaned forward with anticipation. "I don't know how much time you have left before Kate executes her plan to get rid of you, so I really think you should do it tonight."

Eugenia looked like she felt sick. "Fine, I'll do it, okay? Can you leave now? I think I'm going to throw up."

"I'll go. I just hope you don't chicken out because you know what that could mean." Sami made a slicing motion across her throat. Seeing Eugenia raise her hand to her mouth in horror satisfied Sami, and a victorious grin crept onto her face. She started walking away from the apartment, impatience beginning to get the best of her once more as she envisioned the happiness that night would bring her.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

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"Come on, Eugenia. Where the hell are you?" Sami muttered under her breath, tapping her foot against the floor nervously. Most of the guests had finished arriving almost half an hour ago, but Eugenia was nowhere to be found.

She better show up soon. Lucas has to find out the truth tonight. Sam turned to Lucas, who was sitting in the chair next to her talking to Philip. A soft smile chased the worried scowl from her face. After all these months of being alone, it would feel so good to be in his arms again.

She longed to tell Lucas what was going to happen that night. She had come close to telling him a few times, but uncertainty had stopped her. If by some remote chance Eugenia didn't reveal the truth, Sami didn't want to risk disappointing Lucas by making a promise that wouldn't come true. Then he would doubt her even more.

She was dying to tell someone what was happening though. When her gaze swept over the restaurant once more she was searching for both Eugenia and someone she could share her secret with.

Seeing a slender, hunched over form at the bar, Sami rose from her seat. She walked over to Nicole and sat down on the stool beside her.

"Hey, Nicole. Still upset about losing Brady to Chloe?" Sami asked cheerfully, even though she already knew the answer.

Nicole slid her glass back and forth along the surface of the bar without looking up. "Be quiet. Ugh, I don't know why I snuck into this stupid opening night. Brady won't give me a second of his time. And why are you talking to me in public? People are going to get suspicious."

"I don't think anyone will have time to be suspicious of me after tonight. They'll be too preoccupied with Kate." Sami replied smugly.

"Really?" Nicole took a long drink from her glass, unimpressed by Sami's prediction.

Sami nodded, a proud grin on her face. "I scared the shit out of Eugenia earlier today. She thinks that Kate's out to get her, so she's going to tell everyone how she and Kate set me up to save herself."

"That's nice," Nicole said flatly.

"I just have to find Eugenia." After a few more minutes of seeking out the woman, Sami finally spotted her. Sami barely contained a squeal of relief as she left Nicole to make her way over to where Eugenia was lurking.

"It's about time," Sami hissed once she reached Eugenia. "Where were you?"

"Don't get so excited." Eugenia cast a frightened glance in Kate's direction. "I was getting everything set up so everyone can hear the tapes, and I was trying to do it all without letting Kate see me. Give me a break. My life is on the line right now."

"I know that," Sami said. "Then what are you waiting for? Tell everyone the truth!"

"I'm trying to get my nerve up. This isn't easy for me," Eugenia whined.

"Maybe dying would be easier," Sami suggested sarcastically. "Just get it over with." Sami pushed Eugenia out of the dark corner of the restaurant. Eugenia frowned at Sami irritably, but continued on to the center of the restaurant, a remote control in hand.

No one paid attention to Eugenia as she cleared her throat. Eugenia grew visibly frustrated and used the remote to turn off the music.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your evening, but there's something I need to bring into the open. I don't know how to say this, so I'll let this do the talking for me." Eugenia pressed another button on the remote and the familiar voices of Kate and Eugenia streamed through the restaurant's sound system and filled the room.

No one spoke as they took in Kate's words. There was only one person not listening to the taped phone conversation being played. Sami didn't need to know every detail of Kate's plot. She just needed all of Salem to know what a heartless bitch Kate truly was.

While everyone else listened, Sami observed. She noted the way Kate seemed torn between wanting to strangle Eugenia and wanting to crawl under the nearest table and hide. The lines on Sami's father's face had deepened from shock, disgust and anger. Her mother shot daggers at Kate with her eyes as John shook his head in disbelief. Then there was Lucas.

He grew paler by the second. Every word sounding from the speakers appeared to be a separate stab into his heart. Sami could see the pain and horror etched so clearly onto his face it was hurting her. She wished there had been another way to win him back, a way that wouldn't have hurt him so much. Unfortunately, showing him the truth about his mother had been the only way.

Eugenia's tape ended and a sea of murmurs filled the restaurant, but no one dared to speak. The acidic words of victory Sami wanted to say to Kate were on the tip of her tongue. She was about to say them but thoughts of Lucas stopped her. Sami decided that gloating wouldn't make Kate any more miserable than she was already going to be anyways.

Eugenia prepared to bolt but Kate stopped her by breaking the silence.

"What's wrong with you?" Kate demanded before turning back to the crowd. "It isn't true. Eugenia played you a fake tape. I bet Sami had something to do with it."

"Don't even try it, Kate," Sami responded disdainfully. "You lost. Suck it up."

Roman took a step away from Kate. "How could you do something like dis, Kate? You promised to watch over Sami for me at our wedding. Not only did you break that promise, but you lied about it."

"Roman, please..."

"No, Kate. We got nothing to say to each other. I'm going to divorce you as soon as possible. I want you out of my life." A smile leapt to Sami's face at his words. This was her dream come true.

"You really set Sami up?" Philip chimed in. "That's sick, mom."

A noise similar to one a wounded crow would make erupted from Kate's throat. She faced Eugenia angrily. "We were supposed to be partners."

"You were gonna kill me!" Eugenia exclaimed. "I had to do something."

"I was not!" Kate screeched.

"Save it, honey. Sami told me all about your plans." Eugenia said.

"You believed something _Sami_ told you?" Kate threw up her hands. "You're a disgrace."

"Oops." Eugenia was clearly embarrassed.

"Actually, Kate, what you did was much more disgraceful." Marlena told her coldly. "Stay away from Sami from now on."

Kate tried to ignore the fury radiating from Roman and Marlena. She eyed John hopefully. "John? You understand, don't you?"

John wouldn't look her in the eye. "I understand that believing you was a huge mistake." John's face was filled with shame as he looked to the other side of the restaurant. "I should have done something to help you, Samantha. Please accept my apology."

Kate couldn't believe it. Everyone was taking Sami's side. She wanted to disappear, but she went to Lucas instead.

"Lucas, let me explain–" Kate tried to defend herself.

Lucas didn't even let her finish, "I don't want to hear it. You're not going to be a part of my life anymore. I'm cutting you out of my life and out of Will's."

"No!" Kate latched onto Lucas' arm desperately. "Give me a chance to explain. It's the least you can do after all the sacrifices I've made for you."

Kate's begging continued until everyone in the restaurant was watching Lucas expectantly. Lucas knew it was going to be hard to make his mother understand that he wanted her out of his life, and he couldn't do it with all these people watching.

"Let's go outside." Lucas headed for the front doors of the restaurant. Kate hurried after him.

Lucas passed Sami before leaving the restaurant and hesitated. He swallowed hard, his throat contracting painfully as he searched for words.

"Sami," he managed to croak, his eyes burning from the effort of holding back tears. "I'm so sorry."

His undisguised hurt made Sami's heart sink, her jubilation over exposing Kate short-lived. She reached for his hand, but he was still walking and she barely grazed his fingertips. Before she could go after him, her mother was at her side.

Her mother's hand rested on her shoulder. "Let him go. He needs to cut himself free of her without an audience."

"But I want to see him do it. I want to watch Kate lose him, just like she watched me lose him."

"Sami, this is going to hurt Lucas as much as it will hurt Kate. I'm sure you don't want to see him hurting." Marlena said.

"You're right. Maybe I don't want to see it." Sami agreed. "I just want us to be together again."

Marlena pulled Sami into a hug. "That's going to happen soon, sweetie. Once he's done with Kate, he'll come back for you."

Sami peered at the door Lucas had walked out of and sighed, hoping it wouldn't be long before he came back inside to find her.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

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**Author's Note:** I know it's been like six months since I've updated this story, but I got sick and felt like writing, so here's another chapter. Let's hope the next chapter doesn't take another six months ;)

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Lucas had hoped the warm, quiet summer's evening beyond the doors of Chez Rouge would be at least somewhat comforting. But even being out here, away from everyone's prying eyes, didn't make him feel any better. He felt hot and cold at the same time, the icy sting of shock and horror melting away to the slow burn brought on by his mother's betrayal.

His mother looked at him with wet, hopeful eyes. At any other time he would have felt sympathy for her, but all he could think about now was all the phony tears of sadness she had shed when his heart had been ripped to pieces by her hateful scheme.

"Thank you for giving me a chance to defend myself." She sounded so calm and sure of herself. She was unbelievable. Most of Salem had just heard her plotting against her own son and she didn't seem to be rattled by guilt at all. Her cool response to the night's events made Lucas sick.

"That isn't what I'm doing. I just wanted to get out of there." Lucas stared hard at the woman he had trusted more than anyone else for so long. How could she have done this to him? She had spent so much of her life trying to protect him, then turned on him and destroyed his happiness. Fighting back the urge to break down in front of her, Lucas tried to focus on his anger. Anger was easier to deal with.

"There's nothing you can say to defend yourself. I heard the tapes. I know what you did to Sami. I know what you did to me and Will."

"Lucas, stop it. It's not what you think. I did what I did with you and Will's best interests at heart." she tried to explain.

A hollow laugh followed his mother's words, and it took Lucas a moment to realize that the laugh was coming from him.

"So _that's _how you've been justifying what you put me and Will through for all these months? That's what you told yourself when you saw how torn apart your grandson was? That's how you made yourself feel better when you watched me trying to get over losing the woman I loved?" Lucas could only shake his head, repulsed by her.

"Sami would have caused you and Will pain sooner or later if you had stayed with her. You should be thanking me for saving you from going through it later, when it would have hurt you even more."

"Right. You saved me," Lucas retorted sarcastically. "You saved me from marrying the mother of my child and starting the family I've always wanted. Thanks, mom. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Kate flinched at the biting response. "You don't understand."

"I understand perfectly," Lucas corrected her, his eyes blazing. "I understand that you decided to take one of the most important people in my life away from me. You destroyed the relationship Sami and I worked so hard to build when it wasn't yours to ruin. You're so selfish."

"But I did it for you-" Kate began to protest.

"Stop saying that!" Lucas was on the verge of shouting. "You did it for yourself. You did it because you obviously hated Sami more than you loved me and Will."

Kate opened her mouth to reply, but Lucas' stony glare made her freeze before she could get a single word out.

"I don't want to hear it." Lucas could almost feel his blood boiling underneath a hot layer of skin. "Tell me, _Kate, _was I happy after I lost Sami because of you? Was I glad the wedding fell through? Was I living up the single life? Was I?" When she didn't respond, Lucas did start yelling. "Was I? Dammit, if you're such an expert on everything I want and need and feel, you should be able to answer the question. Come on! I'm _waiting_."

His mother closed her eyes and a sob escaped her throat. "No."

Satisfied, Lucas began to back away from her, back towards the restaurant's entrance. "At least you're telling yourself the truth about one thing. And I meant what I said before. We're finished. Don't waste your time considering me and Will your son and grandson anymore."

She let out an anguished wail and tried calling him back. He could hear her begging for his understanding as he walked further away from her, and he didn't like the way it was making him feel. He wanted it to feel like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders now that she was out of his life. He wanted everything to be okay now that he could go back to Sami and hold her and know she hadn't cheated on him. But the painful blend of fire and ice churning in his stomach hadn't receded. If anything, it had grown stronger.

He turned back around to face her. He wished he could look at her, see the tears streaming down her cheeks and be happy. It would have been so much easier, but he couldn't do it. She was still his mother. She had done so much for him, even if she had ended up hurting him worse than he had ever believed she could. Gritting his teeth, he tried to steel himself against her, hoping it would make the knots and twists worrying his insides go away.

"You should have left it alone!" he screamed at her. "I would have been so much better off if I had listened to Sami in the first place. I never should have let you near her or me or Will. I'll never forgive you for this, never!"

Lucas realized that screaming at her wasn't helping either. His shoulders sagged in defeat and he stepped back inside the restaurant, glad he couldn't hear her pleas and cries anymore. Not that he wanted to be in the middle of a crowded restaurant full of curious people who were going to watch his every move either. He would have just left the restaurant completely and went home if it hadn't been for Sami.

Sami... Even thinking about her made the ache inside him increase. Although it had been his mother that had hurt him and Sami more than anyone else, he had hurt Sami, too. As much as he wanted to put all the blame on his mother's shoulders, he couldn't. He had made his choice. When Sami had come to him in her wedding dress with her eyes filled with so much heartbreak it had nearly killed him, he could have given her a chance.

Everything would have been different if he had believed her, but he hadn't even let himself try. If he had believed her, she wouldn't have been hurt by Kate's attempt to set her up. Ultimately, he had been the main source of her pain.

He swallowed hard as he stepped back into the restaurant completely. Sami was already walking towards him, nothing but hope, love and concern in her eyes. No resentment. No anger or accusation. No hurt. None of the emotions he deserved were present on her face and for some reason, that made him feel even worse. He had to turn away because it hurt to look at her.

Once she was in front of him, she reached for his hand. Her touch was soft and warm, but it brought back memories of the horrible way he had treated her over the past few months.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, her voice so gentle, so... forgiving. It made all of the awful things he had said about her after their failed wedding resound in his head with painful clarity.

He tried to answer her but no words came to mind or out of his mouth. She seemed to sense his desire to be away from everyone else because she led him out the doors of Chez Rouge. Thankfully, his mother was already gone.

Lucas found his voice once they were outside. "I really didn't think she was capable of this. I can't believe we lost so much because of her. God, I feel so stupid. I should have known you wouldn't cheat on me. I'm sorry." The last two words tasted bitter coming out. Judging from the way Sami was looking at him, the words meant something to her, but to him they just felt cheap and useless. They weren't enough, not after what he had made her feel.

"Lucas, it's okay." She stepped forward and pulled him into a tight embrace. "It doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that we have another chance. I know you're going through a lot right now, but it's going to be okay and I'm going to be here for you in any way I can."

"Why?" He ignored the part of him that wanted to forget everything so he could hold her again and moved away from her. "I wasn't there for you."

She stared at him intently, as if trying to figure out what he meant, before speaking. "Your mother tricked you. This is her fault, not yours, and I don't want it to keep us apart. I just want you."

She finally became frustrated when he stepped away from her outstretched arms a second time. "But obviously you don't want me. Is that why you're acting like this?" Instead of reaching for him, her arms were now crossed in front of her chest defensively.

He gave her a look of disbelief and closed the distance between them, framing her face in his hands. "It isn't that at all. I want to be with you again, too. It's just not right. She hurt me and I hurt you. Why should I get off so much easier than she did?"

"Because I love you. I forgive you, Lucas," she said softly. Then she leaned in to kiss him, moving slow enough that he could have stopped her if he had wanted to, which he didn't. He had missed her too much to keep resisting her.

He also couldn't stop himself from kissing her back once her lips were pressed against his, gentle and reassuring. When he returned the kiss and pulled her closer to him, Sami almost melted into him, her arms winding around his neck. They didn't stop kissing until both of them had to pull away and gasp for air. Sami looked up at him and gave him a grateful smile, one more thing Lucas knew he didn't deserve.

"Let's go home," she whispered, her warm breath hitting his cheek. "I know we can sort this out. All we need is some time."

He was too emotionally drained to do anything but go with her. She wrapped her arm around his waist and he enveloped her shoulders with his own arm in response as they walked towards his car.


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